Printing machines



, July 21, 1959 D12. LAMBERT 2,395,410

PRINTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 13; 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor i flaw/L021 41mm July 21, 1959 32. JZL

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 4\@ 46 49 5 I 1 I f 48 54 Inventor flow/1w Q1. AHBERT Juily 21 1959 D. R. LAMBERT PRINTING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 13, 1956 1 lllllll l LDONALD R. LAM BERT mLJ; A ttorn e y July 21, 1959 D. R. LAMBERT 2,895,410

PRINTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 15, 1956 Invenlor. DONALD. R. LAMBERT 4 Attorney 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 v Unite States Patent PRINTING MACHINES Donald Rudolf Lambert, Carshalton, England, assignor to Powers-Samas Accounting Machines Limited, London, England, a British company Application December 13, 1956, Serial No. 628,140

Claims priority, application Great Britain January 9, 1956 8 Claims. (Cl. 101-93) This invention relates to printing machines and in particular to machines such as tabulators or other machines in which printing is controlled by statistical records such as cards or tapes.

In machines of the kind above mentioned it has been proposed to eiiect printing by the definition of characters on impression-receiving material, such as paper, by one or more markillg elements, such as styluses, arranged to determine the 'Width of the characters defined and which are reciprocated axially towards and away from the impression-receiving material to form character'- defining marks thereon, the height of the characters being determined by the linear speed at which the impres sion-receiving material is movedpast the imprinting position during character definition.

It is a main object of the present invention to provide printing apparatus which will permit the selective definition on a piece of impression-receiving material, in different lines, of characters the height of which is either normal or which differs from normal so as to be readily distinguished from the characters of normal height, for example, when printing statements of account the name, or the name and address, of the customer may be in characters the height of which is greater than normal, or a credit balance may be printed in the larger characters to distinguish it from a debit balance.

According to the present invention there is provided printing apparatus comprising marking elements movable V towards and away from impression-receiving material to define characters by impressing dots thereon, feeding means operable to feed impressionreceiving material at a constant linear speed past said marking elements during characterdefinition, and driving mechanism co-opcrating with the feeding means and operable selectively either to eflect operation of the feeding means to effect material feeding at a first constant linear speed to determine one height for characters defined by the marking elements or at a second and different constant linear speed to determine a second and different height for characters defined by the marking elements.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood one embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to'the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically in elevation a paper-feeding device, to be controlled by apparatus according to the invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan of Figure 1,

Figure 3 in part section illustrates a two-speed driving means according to the invention,

Figure 4 is a plan of a detail of Figure 3 on line 1VIV, Figure 3, t

Figure 5 is a plan of a V--V, Figure 3,

Figure 6 illustrates the circuit for a magnetic clutch detail of Figure 3 on line embodied in the apparatus of Figure 3,

ice

Figure 7 illustrates a statement printed by apparatus according to the invention,

Figure 8 is an elevation, partly in section, of character-defining apparatus,

Figure 9 is a view looking in the direction of arrow IX, Figure 8,

Figure 10 illustrates a character-determining disc for the letter A, and

Figure 11 graphically illustrates the manner in which under control of the disc shown in Figure 10, a stylus defines the letter A on impression-receiving material.

Referring to the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 illustrate diagrammatically a paper-feeding device in which continuous stationery 1 is arranged to be fed in the direction of arrow 2 to and past an imprinting position at which printing is effected on the paper by marking elements herein referred to as styluses 3. The manner of imprinting may be any one of several known in the art, and one only will be briefly described herein. The paper 1, during an imprinting operation, is moved continuously by paper-feeding elements 4 consisting of rotatable wheels provided with pins to engage in marginal perforations formed in the stationery. The linear speed of the paper is such that it will determine the height of characters to be defined on the paper and character definition is, in known manner, effected by the styluses 3, the marking ends of which are reciprocated continuously as indicated by the double-headed arrow 5, Figure 2, the styluses during character definition receiving a succession of lengthwise impulses, as indicated by the doubleheaded arrow 6, Figure 1, whereby the styluses 3, by impinging against a carbon or like tape 7, Figure 2, effect imprinting on the paper by impressing carbon dots thereon to define the desired character. Each stylus 3 of itself defines a character on the paper but, as can be seen from Figures 2 and 9, there is provided a row of styluses 3 so that a complete line of characters can be imprinted simultaneously.

The manner of operation of the styluses is similar to that described in United States Patent No. 2,728,289, granted December 27, 1955, to W. E. Johnson et al. and will be briefly described with reference to Figures 8 to 11 in which each stylus 3 consists of a flexible wire which is the inner wire of a Bowden wire, the outer member 52 of which has its opposite ends clamped as indicated in Figure 8. The end 53 of each stylus, which end is that opposite the marking end thereof, is connected to the armature 54 of a moving coil solenoid 55 so that the wire. 3 is movable lengthwise.

The marking ends of the wires 3 co-operate with a reciprocating guide member 56 and pass therethrough. The guide member 56 is supported for lengthwise movement by fixed guides 57, 58, Figure 9, and is connected by an eccentric strap 59 with an eccentric 60 rotated by any suitable means, not shown. The eccentric throw is such that the amplitude of reciprocation imparted to the marking end of each stylus 3 by the member 56 is equal to the maximum width of a character to be defined thereby as illustrated in Figure 11.

In the embodiment of the apparatus illustrated in Figures 8 to 11 it is assumed that the member 56 makes eleven reciprocations 61, Figure 11, during the definition of a character, however, as can be seen from Figure 11, the arrangement is such that discrete impulses are applied of the styluses 3 onlyduring the first eight of a cycle of eleven reciprocations 61, the remaining three reciprocations of the cycle being idle and representing the inter val during which selection is made from a plurality of continuously rotating character-determining discs 62, of which one is illustrated inFigure' 10, to control operation,

3 of the solenoids 55, and during which line spacing is efiected.

Each character-determining disc 62 is electrically connected 'witheach solenoid .55 and is provided with peripheral electrical contacts 62a62cc for .co-operation with brushes, 'not shown, so that at intervals and for periods determined by the contacts the solenoid 55 is energised and imparts discrete impulses to stylus 3 causing the stylus to be moved'lengthwise to impinge against the ribbon 7 so that a dot is marked on the Web '1. In Figures and 11 the reference numerals 62-61-6200 indicate the contacts and the dots marked as a result thereof. In Figure 11 the two vertical lines indicate the end positions of the stroke of the marking end of a stylus and the sloping lines indicate the approximate path traced in space by the marking end of a stylus 3 relative to the paper-web 1 due to movement thereof at a constant linear speed. 'It will he understood that Figure 11 represents the height of a character formed by one stylus while the web is moving at a predetermined speed X thenif during the formation of the next characterby the same stylus the web is moved at a predetermined speed X +Y the height of the second character will exceed that of the first character by an amount determined by'Y because the dots formed by the stylus, considered in the direction of movement of web 1, in forming the second character will be spaced further apart than those of the first formed character.

The paper-feeding elements 4 are rotated by a chain 8 carried by sprockets 9 and 10 secured to spindles ll, 12. Also secured to spindle 11 is a gear Wheel 13 which meshes with a gear wheel 14 secured to a cross-shaft'llS. The cross-shaft 15 is driven through a pair of gear wheels 16, 17 of which the gear wheel 16 is secured to the crossshaft 15 and gear wheel 17 is secured to a drive shaft 18.

The drive shaft 18 is secured :by a coupling 19, Figure 3, to an epicyclic differential gearing including gears 20, 21, 22, and 23, and a toothed cage 24. The gear 22 is pinned to a transmission shaft 25 which is continuously rotated by gears 26, '27 and shaft 28 from the main drive shaft, not shown, of the machine.

The transmission shaft 25 rotates at the rate of one revolution for each line of printing to be effected by the row of styluses 3 and, through the gears 2t 22 and coupling 19, controls the rate of linear movement of the paper 1 during the imprinting thereon of characters of normal height. At such times the cage 24 is maintained stationary as the driving torque transmitted through the gears causes a corresponding reaction force on the cage 24 and this is transmitted through a pinion 29, meshing with the cage, to a counter-shaft 30 and toothed member '31 secured thereto and which is prevented from clockwise movement, as viewed in Figure 5, by a pawl 32 urged by a spring 33 into cooperation with the member 31.

The counter-shaft, which normally is stationary, is provided with a normally inactive selectively operable clutch by which the counter-shaft can be coupled to the transmission shaft for rotation thereby. In the embodiment of the invention herein described the clutch is a magnetic clutch embodying an electro-magnet 34 freely mounted on the counter-shaft. The electro-magnet 34 is provided with a gear wheel 35 by which, through an idler 36, it is rotated continuously by a gear wheel 37 secured .to the transmission shaft 25, the gears 35, 37 being of rlzl'ratio. An armature 38 is keyed to the counter-shaft 30 to be slidable axially thereof for co-operation with the ,electro-magnet 34 on energisation thereof thereby to efiect rotation of the counter-shaft, counter-clockwise as viewed in Figures 4 and 5.

The electro-magnet 34 is energised to effect rotation of counter-shaft 30 when it is desired to increase the linear speed of the paper 1 in order to print a line of characters the height of which is greater than that of characters of normalheight. To this end the electromagnet 34 is included in an electric circuit, Figure 6, which includes feed :3. lines 39, 40 across which are connected the contacts 41, 42 of a normally open switch controllable by a cam 43, Figures 3 and 4, secured tothe counter-shaft 30 and arranged so to control energisation of electro-magnet 34 that on receipt of a signal initiating energisation of the electro-magnet the counter-shaft 30 makes one revolution only. The said initating signal may come from any desired source as, for example, under control of a record card or under control of read-out-mechanism cooperating with an accumulator embodied in the machine, and operates to close a normally open switch 44, Figure 6. The'switch 44, when closed, causes energisation of a relay 45 and closing of the normally open contacts 46, 47 thereof. The contacts 46, 47 are incorporated in a hold-on circuit which initiates energisation of the electro-magnet 34. A cyclically operableswitch 48, Figure 6, closes the clutch circuit at the appropriate time in the machine cycle and the hold-on circuit remains effective until the cam 43, Figures 3 and 4, takes over control of the clutch circuit. When the cam '43 has taken control of electromagnet 34 the cyclic switch 48, and a further cyclically operable switch 49 operate to open the hold-on circuit.

The arrangement-of the apparatus is such that when the counter-shaft 36 is rotated for one revolution the cage 24 is rotated in a manner such that the extent of movement thereof results in twice the amount thereof being added to the movement transmitted from shaft 18. Thus if the cage is moved angularly by one-third of a revolution while shaft 18 makesone revolution, the coupling .19 will move through 1% revolutions and the characters defined during such revolution of shaft 18 will be ofa height which is greater than normal by two-thirds. For example, if the normal character height is inch, as indicated at 50, Figure 7, when the cage 24 is rotated onethird of a revolution thereof during one revolution of shaft 25 the character height will be inch, as indicated at 51, Figure 7.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the driving means illustrated in Figure 3 comprises a two-speed driving means which is operable normally to effect feeding of the paper 1 at a rate which determines the normal height of characters but which under control of a signal applied at 44, Figure 6, is operable to effect temporary feeding of the paper at a greater linear speed thereby temporarily to effect definition of characters the height of which is greater than the normal character height.

It will not usually be required to define characters the height of which is less than that of the normal height, but it will be understood that if it should be desired to efiect temporary printing of characters of lesser height than normal this may be done by arranging that the cage 24 be rotated in the direction the reverse of that in which itis rotated to obtain the definition of characters whose height is greater than normal.

I claim:

1. Printing apparatus comprising marking elements movable towards and away from impression-receiving material to define characters by impressing dots thereon, feeding means operable to feed impression-receiving material at a constant linear speed past said marking elements during character definition, a rotatable drive shaft connected with the feeding means to effect operation thereof, a transmission shaft rotatable continuously at one revolution per line of characters to effect material feeding at a first constant linear speed to determine one height for characters defined by the marking elements, an epicyclic dilferential gear coupled to said drive and transmission shafts and having a normally stationary cage, a counter-shaft connected to said cage to effect operation thereof, and a normally inactive selectively operable clutch to couple the counter-shaft to the transmission shaft for rotation thereby in order through said differential gear temporarily to vary the .ratexof revolution of the drive shaft and so effect material feeding at asecond and different constant linear speed to determine a second and different height for characters defined by the marking elements.

2. Printing apparatus comprising marking elements movable towards and away from impression-receiving material to define characters by impressing dots thereon, feeding means operable to feed impression-receiving material at a constant linear speed past said marking elements during character definition, a rotatable drive shaft connected with the feeding means to effect operation thereof, a transmission shaft rotatable continuously at one revolution per line of characters to effect material feeding at a first constant linear speed to determine one height for characters defined by the marking elements, an epicyclic differential gear coupled to said drive and transmission shafts and having a normally stationary cage, a countershaft connected to said cage to effect operation thereof, and a normally inactive selectively operable magnetic clutch to couple the counter-shaft to the transmission shaft for rotation thereby in order through said differential gear temporarily to vary the rate of revolution of the drive shaft and so effect material feeding at a second and different constant linear speed to determine a second and different height for characters defined by the marking elements.

3. Printing apparatus comprising marking elements movable towards and away from impression-receiving material to define characters by impressing dots thereon, feeding means operable to feed impression-receiving material at a constant linear speed past said marking elements during character definition, a rotatable drive shaft connected with the feeding means to effect operation thereof, a transmission shaft rotatable continuously at one revolution per line of characters to effect material feeding at a first constant linear speed to determine one height for characters defined by the marking elements, an epicyclic differential gear coupled to said drive and transmission shafts and having a normally stationary cage, a countershaft connected to said cage to effect operation thereof, a normally inactive electro-magnet freely mounted on said counter-shaft for rotation about the axis thereof by said transmission shaft, and an armature keyed to the countershaft for co-operation with the electro-magnet on energisation thereof thereby to couple the counter-shaft to the transmission shaft for rotation thereby in order through said differential gear temporarily to vary the rate of revolution of the drive shaft and so effect material feeding at a second and different constant linear speed to determine a second and different height for characters defined by the marking elements.

4. Printing apparatus comprising marking elements movable towards and away from impression-receiving material to define characters by impressing dots thereon, feeding means operable to feed impression-receiving material at a constant linear speed past said marking elements during character definition, a rotatable drive shaft connected with the feeding means to effect operation thereof, a transmission shaft rotatable continuously at one revolution per line of characters to effect material feeding at a first constant linear speed to determine one height for characters defined by the marking elements, an epicyclic differential gear coupled to said drive and transmission shafts and having a normally stationary cage, a countershaft connected to said cage to effect operation thereof, a normally inactive electro-magnet freely mounted on said counter-shaft for rotation about the axis thereof by said transmission shaft and incorporated in an electric circuit operable to control energisation of the electro-magnet, an armature keyed to the counter-shaft for co-operation with the electro-magnet on energisation thereof thereby to couple the counter-shaft to the transmission shaft for rotation thereby in order through said differential gear temporarily to vary the rate of revolution of the drive shaft and so effect material feeding at a second and different constant linear speed to determine a second and different height for characters defined by the marking elements,

a normally open switch in circuit with the electro-magnet, a cam rotatable with said counter-shaft to close said switch for one revolution of the electro-magnet until said cam effects closing of said switch.

5. Printing apparatus compriseing marking elements movable towards and away from impression-receiving material to define characters by impressing dots thereon, feeding means operable to feed impressionreceiving material at a constant linear speed past said marking elements during character definition, a rotatable drive shaft connected with the feeding means to effect operation thereof, a transmission shaft rotatable continuously at one revolution per line of characters to effect material feeding at a first constant linear speed to determine one height for characters defined by the marking elements, an epicyclic differential gear coupled to said drive and transmission shafts and having a normally stationary cage, a counter-shaft connected to said cage to effect operation thereof, a toothed member secured to the counter-shaft for movement therewith, a pawl spring-urged into engagement with said toothed member and operative to restrain thecounter-shaft against rotation thereof by the differential gear, and, a normally inactive selectively operable clutch to couple the counter-shaft to the transmission shaft for rotation thereby in order through said differential gear temporarily to vary the rate of revolution of the drive shaft and so effect material feeding at a second and different constant linear speed to determine a second and different height for characters defined by the marking elements.

6. Printing apparatus comprising marking elements moving towards and away from impression-receiving material to define characters by impressing dots thereon, feeding means operable to feed impression-receiving material at a constant linear speed past said marking elements during character definition, a rotatable drive shaft connected with the feeding means to effect operation thereof, a transmission shaft rotatable continuously at one revolution per line of characters to effect material feeding at a first constant linear speed to determine one height for characters defined by the marking elements, an epicyclic differential gear coupled to said drive and transmission shafts and having a normally stationary cage, a counter-shaft connected to said cage to effect operation thereof, a toothed member secured to the counter-shaft for movement therewith, a pawl spring-urged into engagement with said toothed member and operative to restrain the countershaft against rotation thereof by the differential gear, and a normally inactive selectively operable magnetic clutch to couple the counter-shaft to the transmission shaft for rotation thereby in order through said differential gear temporarily to vary the rate of revolution of the drive shaft and so effect material feeding at a second and different constant linear speed to determine a second and different height for characters defined by the marking elements.

7. Printing apparatus comprising marking elements movable towards and away from impression-receiving material to define characters by impressing dots thereon, feeding means operable to feed impression-receiving material at a constant linear speed past said marking elements during character definition, a rotatable drive shaft connected with the feeding means to effect operation thereof, a transmission shaft rotatable continuously at one revolution per line of characters to effect material feeding at a first constant linear speed to determine one height for characters defined by the marking elements, an epicyclic differential gear coupled to said drive and transmission shafts and having a normally stationary cage, a counter-shaft connected to said cage to effect operation thereof, a toothed member secured to the countershaft for movement therewith, a pawl spring-urged into engagement with said toothed member and operative to restrain the counter-shaft against rotation thereof by the differential gear, a normally inactive electro-magnet freely mounted on said counter sh aft for rotation about the axis thereof by said transmission shaft and incorporated in an electric circuit operable to control ener- 'on energisation thereofthereby to couple the countershaft to the transmission :shaft for rotation thereby in order through said differential gear temporarily to vary the rate of revolution of the drive shaft and so effect material feeding at a second and different constant linear speed to determine a second and different height for characters defined by the marking elements, a normally open switch in circuit with the electro-magnet, a cam rotatable with said counter-shaft to close said switch for one revolu- 'tion of the counter-shaft, and a hold-on circuit adapted to effect energisation of the electro-margnet until said cam effects closing of said switch.

8. Printing apparatus comprising marking elements movable towards and away from impression-receiving material to define characters by impressing dots thereon, feeding means operable to feed impression-receiving material at a constant linear speed past said marking elements during character definition, a rotatable drive shaft connected with the feeding means to etfectoperationthereof, driving means operable to rotate said driving shaft at one revolution per line of characters to effect material feeding at a first constant linear speed to determine one height for characters defined :by the marking elements, and a speed change device coupled to the driving means and including a normallyinactive actuator automatically operable to render the speed change device operative temporarily to vary the rate of rotation of the drive shaft and so effect material feeding at a second and different constant linear speed to determine a second and different height lfOI characters defined by the marking elements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 2,129,065 Loop 'Sept. 6, 1938 2,674,652 Johnson et a1. Apr. 6, 1954 2,694,362 Paige Nov. 16, 1954 2,720,164 Braun Oct. 11, 1955 2,728,289 Johnson Dec. 27, 1955 2,773,443 Lambert Dec. 11, 1956 

